A brightly colored array of skate ramps is taking shape in the woodshop at Buena High as this summer’s X Games — which will take over the Ventura County Fairgrounds from June 28-30 ― rapidly approach.
The structure, built to be part of the course for the second edition of Visit Ventura’s downtown skate jam this summer, is the product of months of work by Buena’s student carpenters and artists. The June 27 event at the intersection of California and Main streets will help kick off the tourism bureau’s slate of planned festivities surrounding the action sports competition.
When the skate jam is over, the structure will move to the fairgrounds for the X Games, then to an as-yet-to-be-determined location in Ventura. The components are designed to convert to a decorative sailboat sculpture when their lives as skateboard obstacles are complete.
Scott Manninen, Buena’s woodshop teacher, said the project has been an inspiration.
“I saw these kids come to life,” he said. “It was exciting to do something big that has such a relevant purpose.”
From the archive:Downtown Ventura skateboard jam and light show kicks off X Games
Manninen and his woodshop students worked with a Buena art class to design the structure. A few of the students who helped build the project happened to be skaters themselves, including junior Mason Carter.
“It gives me the chills that a professional skater may skate on this ramp,” Carter said in a statement from Ventura Unified School District. “It’s pretty sick to know that I rode that ramp before any of them get a chance to.”
Visit Ventura is providing the project’s builders with a batch of tickets to the final day of the X Games, but Manninen said the experience alone would have been sufficient.
“It’s a win, win for everyone,” he said.
Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.
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